The Makers Club: Game On! (Book 1)

The Makers Club: Game On! is the start of a new series set in Pangolin Secondary School in Southeast Asia. The lighthearted series focuses on friendship, inclusiveness, and the importance of creativity in STEAM that is sure to inspire kids to explore, experiment, and have fun!

“I loved it! With a diverse cast of teens with interesting backgrounds, The Makers Club tackles real problems that young aspiring creators face at home and in school with relatable and believable characters. It’s easy to read even if you do not know anything about game development, so you don’t need to be a gamer, developer, or artist to enjoy it!”
—Laila Shabir, Founder & CEO of Girls Make Games

“This is such a fun comic which introduces maker culture in such a relatable way. I reckon this comic would inspire many kids to get creative! What stands out the most for me is the friendships formed in The Makers Club. The way these diverse characters support and empathise with each other even when life isn’t perfect is such a heartwarming blueprint for kids to take their cues from. I wish I could have been in such a club as a kid!”
—Melanie Lee, Educator and Writer of comic book Amazing Ash & Superhero Ah Ma

“I just read it in one sitting and really enjoyed it! I like how it combines the angst of starting secondary school, with a message of accepting friends who are different and who may have challenges going on in their lives. I also like how it shares the importance of not giving up your dreams or passions, even if other things are happening in your life. It is also great that one of the main characters is a girl who likes to code!”
—Sarah Mounsey, Director of Libraries, Dulwich College Singapore

“Scholastic and authors like Raina Telgemeier have triumphed DC and Marvel in graphic novel sales. It’s time Southeast Asian publishers like Difference Engine get a slice of the international YA market.”
—CT Lim, country editor (Singapore) of the International Journal of Comic Art

Reimena Yee is an illustrator, writer, and designer. Hailing from the dusty metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, she once was a STEM student with the wish to enter academia, but left to pursue a passion for the world and all of the histories and cultures within it, which she weaves into her art and stories. She is the author-illustrator of the gothic comics, The World in Deeper Inspection, the Eisner and McDuffie-nominated The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya, and Seance Tea Party. Elsewhere, she is the co-founder of UNNAMED, a comics collective that aims to build community and resources for visual-literary creators in Southeast Asia, through workshops, panels and partnerships. She can be found at www.reimenayee.com.

Philippine-born artist Tintin Pantoja graduated with a BFA in Cartooning and Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, having acquired a love of comics from early exposure to Hergé’s Tintin, Archie, and the X-Men. She has been illustrating comics since 2007. Among her works are adaptations of Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, and the educational middle-grade Manga Math series. Most recently, she created Unplugged and Unpopular together with writer Mat Heagerty. She divides her time in Manila between making comics, caring for her four dogs, and scouting the web for fountain pens. You can see more of her work at www.tintinpantoja.com.